What is Valentine's Day?
by Iesous Darma
Summary: An eleven year old Harry Potter has recently discovered the challenge that is Valentine's Day. What could go wrong? Harmony, H/Hr, Harry/Hermione, Cedric/Cho
1. What is Valentine's Day?

**A/N: I do not own Harry Potter**

 **Chapter 1: What is Valentine's Day?**

 ** _February 13 1991, Hufflepuff Common Room, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

Eleven year old Harry Potter was confused. All around him people were running around making last minute preparations for something called **Valentine's Day**. The main cause of his distress was that as far as he could see only the boys were preparing for something. Even his year mates like Ernie and Justin were in on it. Some boys were packing gifts, some were arranging flowers in a pretty bouquet. Some were even preparing their dress robes!

 _'_ _Damn the Dursleys for not teaching me everyday social customs!'_ thought Harry in anger.

Not knowing who else to turn to he approached Cedric Diggory, his unofficial older brother who helped him and other first years adjust to Hogwarts life.

"Hey Cedric, can I have a moment of your time?" asked Harry.

Cedric, putting down his bouquet of flowers turned to Harry. "Sure, what can I help you with?"

"You see," Harry started in a quiet voice so only Cedric could hear him. "We… I… in my family we never celebrated Valentine's Day so I'm unsure of what I'm supposed to do."

Cedric, realizing the importance of this conversation walked Harry to a small alcove where no one could overhear them. "Valentine's Day is…" Cedric started but realized that even he needed to think about just what is **Valentine's Day** , he never needed to explain it to someone before. It was always so straight forward. You like a girl, you give them something they like and have a good time and you get a kiss or something more if you are **lucky**. Getting his head out of the gutter he started his speech again. "Valentine's Day is a day where boys give girls who they like a present and make them feel good. Harry, is there a girl you like?"

Harry needed to think about this. There was of course Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot and Megan Jones, his fellow first year Hufflepuffs but did he like them? How does one know he likes a girl? What is **like**?

"How do I know I like a girl?" Harry asked inquisitorially.

 _'_ _Damn, this guy asks some deep questions.'_ Cedric's fourteen year old mind thought. "Um… you enjoy spending more time with them than any other girl?" he half asked half answered.

"I see…" Harry said. His fellow female Hufflepuffs were out of the question then, they made him feel uncomfortable. They were always staring at him, making him feel like a piece of fruit waiting for him to ripen, but that was ridiculous, wasn't it? Then he remembered Hermione, a first year Ravenclaw, who always helped him when they were in the library. Sure she was bossy but she was the only one who actually made him feel like he was worth something by always making him do better. She was also the only girl who didn't make him uncomfortable. Following that logic she is the girl who he enjoyed spending more time them then with any other girl.

"And how do I make a girl feel good?"

Cedric just stared at the tiny form of Harry Potter wondering just how to answer that question before he realized that he was only **eleven** and his hormones didn't kick in yet. Shaking his head he started, "Well in case of most girls you ask them on a date, and before you start a date is where two people who like each other do something one or the other enjoys. In my case after breakfast I'm taking Cho down to the Black Lake for a walk."

Harry understood that and it was pretty simple. So only the present is left. "What type of present will you give Cho? What type of present should I give?"

"In my case I will give her some of Honeydukes finest chocolates and a bouquet of Alstroemeria, it was a pain to get them. I needed to owl order them from London and spend most of my allowance on them." Seeing the crest fallen look on Harry's face Cedric quickly added. "No one expects a first year to do all that for a girl, you can't even go down to Hogsmeade even if you wanted to. So I think a single flower will be more than enough."

"Not to mention just asking someone on a date by the boy-who-lived would be enough for 90% of the girls to throw their knickers at him." Cedric grumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"You can't just give her any flower. All flowers have a special meaning, like a special flower language. In my case alstroemeria means friendship and devotion. There are some flowers that you only bring to funerals while others are used to propose to someone."

Harry, now thoroughly confused just nodded and solemnly walked back to his dorm room wondering if it wouldn't have been easier just to stay locked up in a cupboard.

-oOo-

 ** _February 14 1991, Great Hall just after breakfast, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

Harry was nervous. Harry was fidgeting. Harry was praying to every deity he knew. Every minute he would check if Hermione finished her breakfast, while his own plate was bare and untouched. Seeing Hermione putting her utensils down Harry gathered all of his courage, put his game face on and headed for the Ravenclaw table.

Hermione was annoyed. Hermione was pissed. If she heard one more snide comment from Cho about how she won't even get a card while God's gift to mankind, Cedric Diggory, will take her away on a Phoenix she will hex her into next week, damned the consequences. So it was no wonder that when someone called her name she already had her wand in hand, a hex on her tongue. Turning around in a fluid motion that would make Jackie Chan walk away in shame she pointed her wand between the eyes of… Harry?

After giving an audible gulp Harry kneeled down in front of Hermione.

"My fair maiden Hermione," Harry started, keeping his head down and eyes on the sleeve of his robes, "would you bestow this poor man the greatest honor imaginable by allowing me the privilege of escorting you on this day of days as your date?"

Without looking up he took out an origami flower from the sleeve of his robe, holding it up for Hermione, who took it with trembling hands.

It was a good thing that Harry kept his eyes glued to his sleeve. That way he didn't see that every girl was rendered speechless by this little byplay, that every female eye was glued on Harry, even from the Slytherin table.

Cho was the first to find her voice. "Wha… what kind of flower is that?"

Harry, who was mentally thanking Cedric for preparing him for this question, answered in a heartbeat. "Since I could not find any flower worthy for Miss Granger," _'and I didn't want to accidentally propose to her'_ he mentally added, "I decided to make one especially for her. It was made from the paper of my Transfigurations assignment, which I got an O, without Hermione's help it would have never bloomed into such a lovely flower. It was only natural that I return it to its rightful owner."

Cedric, on the other end of the hall, was mentally cursing the little shit for raising the bar so high. If this is how a first year midget asks a girl on a date then what would the girls expect of a third year?

Hermione, realizing that this wasn't a prank and that the boy in front of her was serious, answered in her most reassured tone. "I gracefully accept your offer. The honor is mine to be able to be escorted by a fine gentlemen such as yourself."

Before getting up Harry quickly ripped off his prepared speech, which was spelotaped to his sleeve, quickly hiding it in his sock. Grabbing Hermione's offered arm they slowly started walking towards the exit.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked trying keep her smile from splitting her face.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks, searched around the great hall before spotting Cedric.

"Cedric?" Harry shouted across the Great Hall, "I forgot to ask, do you tell your date where you are taking her or is that a surprise?"

"Let it be a surprise Harry." Hermione added before dragging him out of the Great Hall.

Cedric, looking around frantically, was desperately hoping that no one made the connection between him and Harry. It was for not. On the head table Professor Spout looked like she was about to award the house cup to Cedric while Headmaster Dumbledore was giving him his grade one reassuring smile.

At the Gryffindor table all the males were looking menacingly at him. Fred and George were actually taking out their beater bats. At the other end of the hall he was getting a similar treatment from the Slytherin table except that they were conjuring rope and tying it in an all too familiar manner. It seems like the house of the lions and snakes united under a common cause. The Ravens on the other hand, seeing as they don't really need to add more weight on to a dead man's cement shoes, started to calculate the odds of his survival while the males from the Hufflepuff table were torn between house loyalty and male loyalty.

Cedric was also getting glares from the female population. They were all waiting to see what The-Man-Who-Taught-The-Boy-Who-Lived came up with for Valentine's Day. The most prominent one was Cho Chang who looked like Christmas came early.

-oOo-

 ** _February 14 1991, The Library, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

Harry entered the library dragging a still smiling and giggling Hermione to her favorite table. The smile slowly faded, being replaced by confusion when she saw Harry taking out his school supplies along with an essay that was due for next week.

"Harry? Why did you bring me to the library?" asked Hermione her voice becoming angrier after every word.

"To study." Harry answered in an offhand tone.

"Harry James!" Hermione all but screamed, "Your idea for a **date** is for us to do homework and study in the library!? Am I only a book to you!? Do you also expect me to do your homework?"

Beads of sweat suddenly appeared on Harry's face. Hermione is one scary witch when she is pissed. _'And here I thought I was out of the firing zone.'_

With fake confidence he tried to continue his offhand tone. "We… Well you s… see…" Harry stuttered "Cedric explained to me is that a date is when two people do stuff they like," Harry gulped "together so I know you like to spend **a lot** of time in the library and I don't really know what else you like to do so I didn't want to assume anything and I always see you studying alone, so I thought you would enjoy studying together." Harry finished with a zero-confident smile.

Hermione was shocked at the level of thought Harry put into their date. Looking at her flower she got up and kissed Harry on the cheek. "Thank you Harry, that was very thoughtful and sweet of you."

Harry breathed in a sigh of relief, thanking god that Valentine's Day only comes once a year.

"I can hardly wait to see what you come up with next year." Harry heard Hermione whisper to herself thinking the exact same thing.


	2. What ever became of Cedric Digory?

**A/N: I do not own Harry Potter**

 **Chapter 2: What ever became of Cedric Digory?**

 ** _February 14 1991, Great Hall just after The Potter incident, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

Cedric took one last look around the Great Hall.

Pomona along with all the female teachers were looking at him with an appraising smile, some were even chuckling in mirth.

All the girls were talking amongst one another in hushed whispers, no doubt talking about the byplay between the first year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, then as if on cue they would stare at Cedric, give a slight blush or giggle and continue their hushed conversation, this time about what Cedric would do for his intended.

Lastly all the older guys were giving him the evil eye.

Cedric wanted to stand up and yell at everyone that he had absolutely no part of this what so ever! All he did was answer some questions off handedly. He did not plan this! He is not some mastermind of love and romance! Most importantly, he did not break the Guy Code!

The code which Cedric is referring to is this:

 _Thou shall not embarrass thy brothers in front of their intended for thou and thy brothers are united in the cause!_

Sadly it seems like no one would believe him. _'All I wanted to do was get a girlfriend and maybe spend some time in a broom closet! How could this have gone so wrong?'_ he mentally whined.

Well nothing to it, he'll just have to grin and bear it. Besides it will blow over eventually. Before he could get up and head to Cho he was surrounded by a flock of first and second year students.

"Brilliant idea Ced!" came the voice of a first year Gryffindor.

"Genius, pure genius!" came another voice.

"Hey, I'm about to ask a third year. Got any pointers you want to share?" asked eagerly a third voice.

Thus came question after question. Cedric tried to act civil and polite, tried to answer all the questions he could but this just solidified his guilt in the eyes of the older male students.

After answering the last of the questions he got up only to meet face to face with a smiling Cho Chang who was standing next to the Hufflepuff table.

"That was sweet of you Cedric." Came the soft voice of Cho, calming Cedric and giving him courage at the same time.

Cedric holding out his arm, much like in the fashion Harry did, for Cho to grab hold of.

"May I interest you in a walk around the Black Lake?"

"But of course Milord." Cho answered with a giggle.

-oOo-

 ** _February 14 1991, Near the Black Lake, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

"I bought these for you, I hope you like them." Cedric said as he gave Cho the chocolates and flowers.

His voice filled with confidence, eyes burning as a mighty fire, he waited for Cho's love filled reaction.

With a smile Cho took Cedric's gifts, gently examining them. The happy smile on her face faded being replaced by one of confusion then one of pure anger. Cedric, still deluded, noticed none of this until he heard Cho's soft voice.

"How ordinary…" drawled Cho.

"Yes. Wait what?" Cedric asked in confusion.

"You help a first year make some no-one bookworm's wildest fantasy come true in the middle of the Great Hall, making every woman green with envy and jealousy and all I get are some expensive weeds!" screamed Cho.

"No… wait… I…" stuttered Cedric.

"Did you or did you not help him with his Valentine's Day?" demanded Cho!

"I did but…" Cedric tried desperately to convey the actual facts of the matter but to no avail. Cho was unstoppable.

"Did you deny even one allegation where people said it was your plan?"

"No I didn't but… please hear me out!" pleaded Cedric.

"You have nothing to say to me! My mother warned me about men like you! You are a lazy pig that believes money with get them anywhere! You didn't put any **real effort** to this day! You are just like the Malfoys!"

-oOo-

 ** _At the exact same moment, Male dorms, Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

Pansy was sitting on Draco's bed, cradling a red rose that Draco gave her as his **public** present. After giving her their hidden signal they both retreated to Draco's personal dorm. He made Crab and Goyle stand guard, cast half a dozen locking and privacy spells after which Draco finally felt safe enough to show his personal present.

The young Malfoy heir was taught from an early age that family comes first. Alongside that he was also taught about the importance of the Guy Code. A cold chill went down his spine as he remembered the possible repercussions of disrespecting it. He could only feel sorry for Cedric.

Thinking of happier thoughts he took out his violin and started playing to Pansy a song that he personally composed for her.

-oOo-

 ** _20 minutes later, Near the Black Lake, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

Cedric was nursing his left cheek which was still glowing red from the slap that Cho left him. Sighing in resignation he was at least happy that the boys didn't bug him.

At that moment he jumped up, feeling the urge to clear his bowels, he started frantically running towards the nearest toilet.

When he got out of sight a disillusioned Professor Flitwick appeared.

"For honor and the Guy Code!" he silently whispered.

-oOo-

 ** _An hour later, The nearest male's toilet, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

Cedric left the stall with a heavy sigh. It seems like nothing went according to plan today. He felt like everything he ate this year came out of him. Staring on the ground, deep in thought, he headed towards the sink to wash his hands not noticing the red and gold trimmed students standing around him, waiting.

Raising his head, to check his face in the mirror he stumbled back in shock. All around him were the older Gryffindor boys, some cracking their knuckles, some brandishing their wands. Fred and George were even there polishing their beater bats. All wishing to show them their displeasure as their girlfriends showed them theirs for their **lack of effort**.

A cough brought his attention to Percy Weasley, who was the designated spokesperson for the mob.

"Cedric Digory, we would like to know if you have ever heard of something called… The Guy Code." Percy said in a monotone, repressing his anger after Penelope informed him of her opinion of his date.

Cedric's last pleasant thought was that Madam Pomfrey was female.

If he only knew that outside of the bathroom stood the older Slytherins who's dates were also disappointed with their **lack of effort**.

-oOo-

 ** _February 14 1991, Great Hall dinner time, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

Headmaster Dumbledore looked over his students at dinner, a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. It always made his old heart beat a bit faster just by feeling all the love in the air. Looking at young Mr. Potter happily listening to Miss Granger at the Hufflepuff table made all the sacrifices in the last war feel worthwhile. However he was a bit disconcerted with all the negativity surrounding Mr Diggory, he at least hoped that… but before he could finish his thoughts a silver Patronus shot in the Great Hall, stopping above his plate.

In a voice everyone could recognize the patronus stated, "Mr. Diggory is currently in the hospital wing, he is not in critical condition but… OH MERLIN! How does that even fit in there!?"

Dumbledore slowly stood up, leading Pomona to the Hospital Wing. He hoped that the state in which he would find Mr. Diggory would at least be better than the case in '69. He couldn't remember what actually happened with the poor sod he just knows he somehow managed to successfully Obliviate himself of the memory.

Mouthing something to Severus that only he could make out, he exited through the door.

Severus walked to the podium, addressing all the students.

"50 points shall be deducted from Hufflepuff" Snape drawled, "for the break of a most Ancient and Noble code of conduct. Let us hope that this incident shall never be repeated again."

For the first time in memory the Gryffindor boys alongside with the Slytherin boys stood up and cheered at Snape's declaration, all while the younger boys and all the girls just looked on confused not understanding what happened.


End file.
